Core Cards Creative Frenzy!

OK, so here is blogging motivation #2 - this card-creating challenge from Core'dinations - maker of Color-Core Cardstock.  They are looking for new card designers and asking for 3 creations, submitted via blog.  Seems they need some folks to help get out the word about their products and the great things that can be done with them.

Here are my 3 creations:

I really like this embossed look - adds great texture!  Such a simple, fun card to make; I do a set of 4 in different colors and give them away as gifts!

This card uses ribbon, die-cuts, and Flower Soft to add great dimension and texture.

One of my favorites - uses die-cuts, ribbon, and flowers made with Flower Soft.  I like the stamping and the fun "bling" dots made with Liquid Pearls.

Although I didn't have time to get a video shot for this post, I'm sure my acting, directing, and teaching background would make shooting instructional videos a blast - what  great way to share my love of creating cards, along with great tips & tricks I've picked up over the years!

Who knows?  Perhaps I'll be asked to join their creative team and get the chance to empower many others to make their own cards!

OK, everyone - now go embellish something!
<smile>

Flower Soft

I Love "Painting" with Flower Soft!

OK, so Another Confession.  I have wanted to start this blog for some time now, but, you know how it is - LIFE gets in the way!  Recently, two opportunities arose which pushed me to Just Do It.

The first of those is a contest that is currently being run by the makers of Flower Soft.  (Check it out here...)  I got started with this product more than a year ago and have become somewhat obsessed.  It is a texture medium (in regular and ultra fine) that very much resembles shaved, colored Styrofoam - but it is really soft - and it comes in a wide range of colors, both solid and mixed.  I have been playing around with making my own color mixtures, which is REALLY fun!

Since I love to stamp, and usually do nature and vintage themes, I have loved creating all kinds of flower baskets, gardens, vases of flowers (they have a great technique for 3-D flowers - I'll get to that in another post).  They also carry a line of card toppers and other pre-printed pieces that can really be a blast.  Here's one of the 3-D window scenes I have done as a card:

I am going to have to upgrade my photo skills to better show the detail on these!  The butterfly on the sentiment is my own addition - I love butterflies and try to find ways to put them in most of the cards I make.  I also love their Hedgehog Toppers - here's a card I made with one of those:

Aren't these precious?  His nut brown fur doesn't show as well here, though...  It is fuzzy and touchable!  That's one of the great things I love about this product - it stays on.

Welcome to Auntie D's World of Papercrafting!

OK, so, actually, my name is Deborah.  Last year I volunteered in my nephew Russell's kindergarten class, and he calls me Aunt Deborah - but one of his classmates started calling me "Aunt D" - I thought Auntie was a little less formal...  So, here I am!

I've been crafting since I was a child - and I started scrapbooking quite a while ago, but in recent years I have loved making cards.  The smaller size makes for interesting compositional challenges; besides, cards you buy in the stores these days are boring.  I especially like texture and color - and playing around with the seemingly endless selection of papers, embellishments, media, and tools. 

In this space, I hope to share what I am doing and see what you are doing - swapping tips and tricks, pushing each other along when one of us is stuck, answering questions for each other... and anything else that inspires us to be creative.  As I always say: "There are no stupid questions" - so ask!  It isn't always easy to be a beginner at something; I hope to avoid jargon and do a good job of explaining things as we go along.

One of the wonderful things about the Internet is the vast amount of information and community that is available.  When it comes to crafting - wow!  Every company has a site (plus Facebook, Twitter, and blogs), there are 1000's of videos on YouTube alone, and hundreds - if not 1000's - of other people with their own blogs like this one.  It can be overwhelming!

I hope to clear through some of this vast world and share some of my Favorite Things:  products, tools, sites, videos, blogs, Pinterest Boards, Facebook pages - whatever.  I hope you will share your favorites as well.  If you are like me - you love learning about a new technique, seeing the latest products, and getting new perspectives on being creative .

Let's Go!

Oh!  And One More Thing...   Comment Comment Comment!  Each post is meant to be a conversation thread that can continue as long as there is interest.  So check out older posts too - and keep the creative conversation going!

OK.... now I have to go embellish something.....

~ Auntie D

This is the first card I made with my new Cricut Expressions 2!  (Only the branch is hand-die-cut.)